Spicer abruptly resigns as Trump press secretaryWASHINGTON — White House press secretary Sean Spicer abruptly resigned his position Friday, ending a rocky six-month tenure that made his news briefings defending President Donald Trump must-see TV. He said Trump's White House "could benefit from a clean slate." Spicer quit in protest over the hiring of a new White House communications director, New York financier Anthony Scaramucci, objecting to what Spicer considered his lack of qualificatio...

Massive blaze threatens town near YosemiteMARIPOSA, Calif. -- The town of Mariposa, with its century-old saloons and covered streets, normally bustles with summer visitors on their way to Yosemite National Park but on Thursday the Gold Rush-era hamlet was mostly empty as ash rained down and heavy smoke from a nearby blaze darkened the sky. The five-day blaze in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada threatened hundreds of homes, and historic buildings, including a wood courthouse founded ...

APNewsBreak: US restoring asset seizures with safeguardsWASHINGTON— The Trump administration will soon restore the ability of police to seize suspects' money and property with federal help, but The Associated Press has learned the policy will come with a series of new provisions aimed at preventing the types of abuse that led the Obama Justice Department to severely curtail the practice. At issue is asset forfeiture, which has been criticized because it allows law enforcement to take possessions wi...

House budget blueprint boosts military, cuts food stampsWASHINGTON— House Republicans on Tuesday unveiled a budget that makes deep cuts in food stamps and other social safety net programs while boosting military spending by billions, a blueprint that pleases neither conservatives nor moderates. The GOP plan, authored by Budget Chairman Diane Black, R-Tenn., is critical to GOP hopes to deliver on one of President Donald Trump's top priorities — a Republican-only effort to overhaul the tax code. Uncl...

Health plan hinges on the young, but they're a tough sellWASHINGTON — Julian Senn-Raemont isn't convinced he needs to buy health insurance when he loses coverage under his dad's plan in a couple of years — no matter what happens in the policy debate in Washington, or how cheap the plans are. The 24-year-old musician hasn't known a world without a health care safety net. But he hates being forced by law to get coverage, and doesn't think he needs it. "I'm playing the odds," said Senn-Raemont, who liv...

Science Says: Are hot dogs healthier without added nitrites?NEW YORK — Backyard cooks looking to grill this summer have another option: hot dogs without "added nitrites." Are they any healthier? Oscar Mayer is touting its new hot dog recipe that uses nitrite derived from celery juice instead of artificial sodium nitrite, which is used to preserve the pinkish colors of processed meats and prevents botulism. Kraft Heinz, which owns Oscar Mayer, says sodium nitrite is among the artificial ingredients it h...

NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn't happen this weekA roundup of some of the most popular, but completely untrue, headlines of the week. None of these stories are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked these out; here are the real facts: ___ NOT REAL: Whataburger files for bankruptcy; all locations to close by August 1. THE FACTS: The Texas-based fast food chain has taken to social media to quash a series of false stories claiming it was going o...

Trump suggests just repeal Obamacare, then try to replace itWASHINGTON — President Donald Trump barged into Senate Republicans' delicate health care negotiations Friday, declaring that if lawmakers can't reach a deal they should simply repeal "Obamacare" right away and then replace it later on. Trump's tweet revives an approach that GOP leaders and the president himself considered but dismissed months ago as impractical and politically unwise. And it's likely to further complicate Majority Leader Mitch...

At least 2 people shot inside NYC hospital; gunman deadNEW YORK — A man pulled a rifle from under his white lab coat and opened fire inside a Bronx hospital Friday, killing at least one person and wounding others before apparently taking his own life, police said. The gunfire broke out at 2:50 p.m. inside the Bronx Lebanon Hospital, bringing police cars and firetrucks rushing to the scene and sending officers onto the roof with their guns drawn as people inside the building were told to hide. Offi...

Consumer issues stemming from the GOP health care initiativeWASHINGTON — Republicans in full control of government are on the brink of history-making changes to the nation's health care system. The impact for consumers would go well beyond "Obamacare." Former President Barack Obama's signature law is usually associated with subsidized insurance markets like HealthCare.gov. But the Affordable Care Act also expanded Medicaid. Not only would the GOP legislation scale back coverage through the insurance ma...

Fidget spinners named possible hazardBOSTON -- The wildly popular fidget spinners that seem to be in the hands of the half the children in the U.S. are also potentially dangerous, a consumer watchdog group warned Wednesday. The small plastic and metal spinners, already banned in many schools because they distract students, can fall apart, and the small pieces can create a choking hazard, Boston-based World Against Toys Causing Harm said in its summer safety report , released on t...

Comatose student freed by North Korea diesCINCINNATI -- Otto Warmbier, an American college student who was released by North Korea in a coma last week after almost a year and a half in captivity, died Monday, his family said. The 22-year-old "has completed his journey home," relatives said in a statement. They did not cite a specific cause of death. "Unfortunately, the awful, torturous mistreatment our son received at the hands of the North Koreans ensured that no other outcome was po...

NBC to air Jones interview despite efforts to 'distract'NEW YORK -- NBC News vowed Friday to go ahead with Megyn Kelly's report on conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on Sunday, despite his "efforts to distract and ultimately prevent" its airing. The network said that it remains "committed to giving viewers context and insight into a controversial and polarizing figure, how he relates to the president of the United States and influences others, and to getting this serious story right." The story, schedu...

Fed raises key rate and unveils plan to reduce bond holdingsWASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve has raised its key interest rate for the third time in six months, providing its latest vote of confidence in a slow-growing but durable economy. The Fed also announced plans to start gradually paring its bond holdings later this year, which could cause long-term rates to rise. The increase in the Fed's short-term rate by a quarter-point to a still-low range of 1 percent to 1.25 percent could lead to higher bor...

UPS gunman had filed overtime grievanceSAN FRANCISCO — A UPS employee who had recently filed a grievance opened fire Wednesday inside one of the company's San Francisco packing facilities, killing three co-workers before fatally shooting himself as employees fled frantically into the streets shouting "shooter!," authorities and witnesses said. The gunman, Jimmy Lam, filed the grievance in March complaining that he was working excessive overtime, Joseph Cilia, an official with a Tea...

AP sources: Trump tells senators House health bill 'mean'WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump told Republican senators Tuesday that the House-passed health care bill he helped revive is "mean" and urged them to craft a version that is "more generous," congressional sources said. Trump's remarks were a surprising slap at a Republican-written House measure that was shepherded by Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and whose passage the president lobbied for and praised. At a Rose Garden ceremony minutes after t...

Key takeaways from Attorney General Sessions' testimonyWASHINGTON — Attorney General Jeff Sessions gave more than two hours of sometimes heated testimony Tuesday, with Democrats demanding details of matters including conversations with President Donald Trump, interactions with the Russian ambassador and the firing of FBI Director James Comey. The appearance before the Senate intelligence committee gave Sessions a chance to defend himself, but offered little new insight. Some takeaways from Session...

Conservative lawmaker known for love of baseball, shot Wednesday morningALEXANDRIA, Va. — A rifle-wielding attacker opened fire on Republican lawmakers as they practiced for a charity baseball game Wednesday, critically wounding House GOP Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana and hitting aides and Capitol police as congressmen and others dove for cover. The assailant, who had nursed grievances against President Donald Trump and the GOP, fought a running gun battle with police before he, too, was shot and later died. Col...

Ailes led Fox News Channel for 2 decadesNEW YORK -- Roger Ailes, the communications maestro who transformed television news and America's political conversation by creating and ruling Fox News Channel for two decades before being ousted last year for alleged sexual harassment, died Thursday, according to his wife, Elizabeth Ailes. He was 77. Ailes died after a fall at his Palm Beach home on May 10 caused bleeding on the brain, the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner's Office said. Ai...

Lauded grunge rock star Cornell, 52, diesDETROIT -- Chris Cornell, one of the most lauded and respected contemporary lead singers in rock music with his bands Soundgarden and Audioslave, hanged himself Wednesday in a Detroit hotel room, according to the city's medical examiner. He was 52. The Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office said Thursday it completed the preliminary autopsy on Cornell, but that "a full autopsy report has not yet been completed." A police spokesman told two Det...